23rd Feb 2014, 02:15

Actually the VX 800 lends itself to extreme performance and especially appearance mods. I have just turned one into a serious rat/street fighter, which leaves Harley owners dribbling in their boots. All for a fraction of the price of their bikes.

1990 Suzuki VX800 from United States of America

Summary:

The VX800 is a great all-around motorcycle for anyone - beginner, intermediate or experienced rider

Faults:

Headlamp went out at 12,000 miles.

Replaced the front and rear brake pads at 13,500 miles.

Replaced the shock absorbers at 13,500 miles.

General Comments:

I bought the VX800 in April of this year. As I write this, it is May.

Since buying the bike I've done all the service work myself (oil change, etc.).

Shortly after buying the bike I blew a shock. That's hardly surprising given that the shocks were 15 years old. I bought a replacement set of Hagons for $190 (including shipping to my door).

The brake pads were severely worn, so I picked up a set of EBC HH (sintered metal) pads for $67 (delivered).

The bike came with Metzler ME-Z4 tires, which I'm happy with in terms of performance, but the longevity of the tires leaves something to be desired. They were practically new when I bought the bike, but right now the tires are getting close to needing to be replaced. I'm not sure what make and model I'll use as replacements.

All in all, I'm very happy with the VX800. When I was shopping for a motorcycle, I was looking for a good all-around bike, something that I could use for a commuter, use on a long trip, and have some fun in the twisties. The VX has fitted the bill on all those counts.

Since the VX800 wasn't very popular when it was new, it's actually very reasonably priced on the used market. I bought mine for $1,800 (US) and I figure I have put another $400 into it. Not bad when one looks at the price of new bikes.

I've seen reviews where people complained about fork dive on hard braking, but I haven't had that problem. However, I don't believe that the front springs are stock. The caps atop the fork tubes show tool marks, and I believe some previous owner may have put in progressive springs.

The bike gets 47 mpg (avg) with me on it (and I'm not a small fellow).

Acceleration is good, but nothing like one would see from a sport bike. It certainly out-accelerates most cruisers I've seen. I have a friend who rides a 1500 Kawasaki Vulcan. He took a spin on my bike and came back with a big grin on his face, claiming that if he were to buy a bike that accelerated like my VX800, he'd wind up killing himself on it.

Roll-on performance is excellent. Twist the wrist and you're gone. I love that.